Google limits OEMs to grant permissions for bloatware in Marshmallow

After rolling out the Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the tech giant Google has again revealed some guidelines for OEMs that once again limits the harassment potential of the pre-installed apps.

The new guidelines from Google restrict the OEMs to grant permissions for the bloatware to access several protected features. The smartphone makers will have to generate a warning dialog box (pop-up window) for the apps that targets API level 23. It also asks for a centrally located permissions manager, expected to be provided under settings option.

According to a report on Android Police, “OEMs like Samsung or LG could still replace the dialer and the camera and grant them the right to actually do their job without pestering users with requests when they first launch them. However, they won’t be able to install other apps and grant them all the permissions without asking for them.”

Here is the text from the CDD:

9.1 Permissions

Permissions with a protection level of dangerous are runtime permissions. Applications with targetSdkVersion > 22 request them at runtime. Device implementations:

MUST show a dedicated interface for the user to decide whether to grant the requested runtime permissions and also provide an interface for the user to manage runtime permissions.

MUST have one and only one implementation of both user interfaces.

MUST NOT grant any runtime permissions to preinstalled apps unless: the user’s consent can be obtained before the application uses it or the runtime permissions are associated with an intent pattern for which the preinstalled application is set as the default handler.

“If Asus and HP and other OEMs want to include a ton of bloatware with their devices to offset their price, and make it non-removable to worsen the situation, you will still have control over whether that bloatware actually does anything substantial in the background and without your knowledge or if it stays there castrated and harmless,” the report further added.